UNIT 5 BIO

What is ecology?

is the study of the interactions and relationships between different organisms with each other and their environment.

What is interdependence?

is the unified existence of life that sustains biodiversity and the biosphere.

What does sustainable mean?

means something that can be done for a long time or repeatedly without being destructive.

What are renewable resources?

are energy sources or products that are sustainable and won’t run out.

What is biodegradable?

materials are those that decomposers can break down and recycle back into an ecosystem.

What is conservation?

is the wise management of resources with the future in mind, such as not wasting water or energy, recycling, using reusable bags, and using less fossil fuels.

What is an individual organism?

is one single living entity.

What is a population?

is a group of the same species living together in the same area.

What is a community?

is all the different populations living together in a specific environment.

What is a keystone species?

a species that keeps the community stable, such as producers and decomposers.

What is an ecosystem?

is the entire community of organisms and all the abiotic factors within a specific environment.

What is biodiversity?

is the variety of species in an ecosystem or biosphere.

What is a biome?

is a group of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar communities.

What is the biosphere?

is the Earth itself and all its lifeforms.

What are trophic levels?

are each step or point of transfer in an ecosystem's energy flow system.

What is a food chain?

is the linear exchange of chemical energy between organisms in a community.

What is a food web?

is the radial exchange of chemical energy between all organisms in a community, made up of many food chains.

What are ecological pyramids?

are diagrams showing the relative amounts of energy or matter within each trophic level.

What is symbiosis?

is a relationship between different species due to coevolution.

What is a nutrient cycle?

are the movement of chemicals needed for survival between living and non-living factors.

What are population dynamics?

refers to how populations are balanced within ecosystems.

What is the predator-prey relationship?

, too many predators cause prey to decrease, leading to predators starving.

What is population growth?

refers to how fast a population increases or decreases.

What is carrying capacity?

is the maximum number of organisms a niche can support.

What are logistic and exponential growth?

Slows down as it reaches its carrying capacity, while the growth continues at a rapid and constant rate.

What are limiting factors?

are conditions that restrict the growth rate of a population.

What are density-dependent factors?

depend on the number of individuals in an area.

What are density-independent factors?

don't depend on population size, like weather and climate.

What is demography?

is the study of human populations.

What are age structure diagrams?

graph the percentage of individuals in different age groups.

What is pollution?

is the dumping of toxic chemicals or non-biodegradable materials into the environment.

What are the types of pollution?

Water, air, and land pollution are the three main types.

What are solutions to pollution?

Stricter laws, biodegradable materials, new technology, organic farming, conservation, and renewable energy.

What is the ozone hole?

is a gap in the ozone layer caused by CFCs.

What are solutions to the ozone hole?

Eliminate CFCs and develop new technology.

What causes global warming?

The greenhouse effect caused by CO2 and other fossil fuel pollution.

What are the effects of global warming?

Melting ice caps, rising sea levels, more storms, and loss of micro-organisms.

What are solutions to global warming?

New technology, less fossil fuel use, more renewable energy, and reduced deforestation.

What is habitat fragmentation?

is the destruction of habitats.

What are solutions to habitat fragmentation?

Paper & lumber alternatives, new laws and conservation.

What is intensive farming?

involves harsh land use and mistreatment of animals.

What are solutions to intensive farming?

Organic farming and stricter laws.

What is resource depletion?

occurs when important resources are overused or contaminated.

What are solutions to resource depletion?

Using renewable energy, conservation, and reducing pollution.

What causes endangerment and extinction of species?

Overfishing, illegal trade, habitat fragmentation, and other human activities.

What are solutions to endangerment and extinction?

Stricter laws, conservation, and reducing deforestation and overfishing.

What are invasive species?

are non-native organisms introduced into an ecosystem.

What are solutions to invasive species?

Stricter laws and the removal of invasive species.